Bird-Watchers Invited to Take Part in Census

The National Audubon Society is asking local bird-watchers to participate from Friday through Sunday in a nationwide science project studying the effect of weather conditions on bird migration.

Co-sponsored by the Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology, the BirdSource “Great ’98 Backyard Bird Count” is the first national bird count to invite the public to document the birds they see in their yards and neighborhood parks, organizers said.

Audubon officials said the count will take place at a crucial time, when birds are at the southernmost point in their migrations.

“It has become increasingly apparent that weather phenomena like El Nino may influence the winter movement of birds,” said Frank Gill, Audubon senior vice president. “We need people to help us. If every one of the approximately 60 million bird-watchers in the United States could participate, they would add significantly to our knowledge of how weather has impacted birds before they begin their journeys north.”

Participants can spend as much or as little time as they like counting the number of birds and bird species they see, officials said. They can then report their findings online through BirdSource, a World Wide Web site that can be accessed at https://birdsource.cornell.edu.

The BirdSource Web site will display response patterns and count results through graphics, animated maps and continually updated information.

“It’s pretty exciting. We are in the process of creating a census bureau for birds,” said John Fitzpatrick, the director of Cornell’s ornithology lab.

Fitzpatrick said that the count was designed to focus on the 100 most common “backyard birds” in the United States. For the purposes of the study, he said, participants should confine their bird-watching to a 1-square-mile area.

“It’s fun, it’s easy to participate in, and it’s good science,” Fitzpatrick said. “All you need is a love for the outdoors and access to an online computer.”

For more information, access the BirdSource Web site or call the Cornell ornithology lab at (800) 843-2473.